Page 59 of Marked By Moonlight

Bene looked at Roux, who nodded.

“The elves were wondering what to do next — more wallpaper or the other bathrooms?” Bene asked.

Guilt washed over me. Did I really want to terminate our contact early and get them in trouble?

My voice was a little shaky when I replied. “Either would be great. Thank you.”

Roux nodded silently, then motioned to Bene. “Pass the pepper.”

Bene huffed. “I’ll tell Madame Picard.”

Roux’s eyes took on an offended glow. “Pass the goddamn pepper.” He snatched it from Bene’s hand, then muttered, “If you tell Madame Picard, I’ll kill you.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or groan. A girl ought to watch what she wished for.

A week passed without a word from Marius — and not a lot of words from Bene or Roux either. Leaving the ballroom to them, I took measurements for new fixtures in the upstairs bathrooms. Sunlight streamed through the windows in the adjoining room — Marius’s room, technically — drawing me toward it. I gazed out, catching a glimpse of a tiger moving smoothly across the lawn before blending into the shadows of the forest.

I looked the other way, spotting a lion sunning himself on the patio. With a faint smile, I looked into the sky, half expecting to see a dragon.

Then I frowned, and my heart ached, because Marius was gone.

I stood there for a long time, thinking about him. Us.The Tower of Blue Horses. Wishing I could take action — any action — on any of those things.

Then I looked around, despairing at all the work awaiting me. This was just one room in a huge château. How would I ever get it all done?

My eyes caught on the wall beside one window — a big, blank space perfect for a painting. LikeThe Tower of Blue Horses, for example. But who was I kidding?

A fit of anger took over me, followed by a sudden inspiration, and I rushed to the stash of paint cans we’d salvaged during a recent clean-out of the stables. Picking out the colors I needed, I schlepped the cans to Marius’s bedroom. A second trip secured me brushes and a roller, and in no time, I’d coated the corner wall in off-white paint. Then I cleaned my hands and dashed to the library for one of my father’s art books.

“Lunchtime,” Bene called from downstairs.

I wasn’t hungry, but the paint needed to dry, so I opened every window and joined Bene and Roux for a sandwich. Afterward, I hurried back upstairs with a pencil. I studied the art book for a while, then began to outline on the wall. Four lumps to the right and a row of inverted V shapes on the left. I blocked out areas for each of the key figures, then double- and triple-checked that everything balanced.

“Dinner,” Bene hollered, though I could have sworn no more than an hour had passed.

But, oh. It was a growing dark outside, and hmm. Was that my stomach rumbling?

“Mina,” Bene called impatiently. He even rang the service bell only Madame Picard was allowed to use.

“Go ahead without me,” I called.

That became a familiar refrain over the next few days. I sweated over renovations all day, then awarded myself an hourto work on my painting before dinner. Sometimes, I worked straight through dinner. I was that driven to complete the one thing in my control.

Bene and Roux started bringing meals up to me. During lunch on the fourth day, they pulled out a couple of chairs and sat facing the wall as if it were a wide-screen TV.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Watching.” Roux balanced a plate piled with food on his lap.

“This is about as interesting as watching paint dry,” I said. “Literally.”

Bene spoke through a mouthful of food. “Sadly, that’s still more interesting than anything else going on here.” He looked on for another minute, then murmured, “It’s kind of like watching a really, really slow movie. One of those French ones that makes no sense.”

Roux shook his head. “It’s beautiful.”

Was it? I stepped off the ladder I’d used to reach the top section for a better look.

And, wow. Itwasbeautiful, now that I was close to finishing.